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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. club — for golf
  18. plane — a tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bear — the animal
  21. capital — a city
  22. lie — to recline
  23. file — a document
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com